In Luke 6, 12-19, we are told that Jesus went up into the mountains to pray and spend the whole night there in prayer to God. Some might wonder what Jesus would have to pray about. Such a question may reveal a limited concept of what prayer is. It is not just a question of asking for things. It is even less a question of fulfilling a religious duty, as in “saying our prayers.”
Prayer is ultimately uniting with, making contact with, and being in communion with God, the beginning and end of all things. It makes a lot of sense that Jesus would have wanted to be in intimate contact with His Father and to have spent long periods with Him. One of Jesus’ main concerns was that He do the will of His Father. So, prayer was one way of making sure that there was completely harmony with that will.
St. Luke’s Gospel shows Jesus at prayer more than any of the others. He also shows Jesus praying before all the important stages in His public life. As soon as this particular night of prayer was over, He called together His disciples and from them He chose twelve as Apostles.
Let us pray. “Lord, help us to trust that you prayerful and carefully considered all things before you called us to follow you. Help us treasure the gift that it is to follow in your Way and to be drawn into communion with you and your Father – who is our Father, too. Amen.”
